Powell’s remarks offered little guidance about how soon or how quickly rates might continue to move lower.
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United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has pointed to a possible rate cut at the central bank’s September meeting but has stopped short of committing to cutting interest rates in remarks that walked a narrow line, acknowledging growing risks to the job market while also saying risks of higher inflation remain.
“While the labour market appears to be in balance, it is a curious kind of balance that results from a marked slowing in both the supply of and demand for workers. This unusual situation suggests that downside risks to employment are rising. And if those risks materialise, they can do so quickly,” Powell told an audience of international economists and policymakers at the Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday.
“It is also possible, however, that the upward pressure on prices from tariffs could spur a more lasting inflation dynamic, and that is a risk to be assessed and managed.”
